Responding to the prime minister's speech at the Conservative Party Conference, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"The prime minister was right to highlight both the tremendous work done by the NHS over the past 18 months as well as the challenges the health service faces in the months ahead.

"Following the inevitable disruption caused by the pandemic, it's a real concern that 5.6 million patients are now waiting to start planned treatment.

"These pressures are being felt throughout the NHS. Urgent and emergency care services face incredibly high demand, the number of people waiting to access mental health services – more than one-and-a-half million – is at record levels, all alongside sustained increases in demand for community services.

"This is before we've even reached the winter months, which put additional stresses and strains on our already hard working NHS front line.

"Frontline trusts and staff have been working exceptionally hard to meet the demands presented by COVID-19 and non-COVID care in incredibly challenging circumstances, and they will continue to do so.

"Welcome, additional funding for the NHS will play a critical role in meeting patients' needs as we come out of the pandemic.

"Like the prime minister and the health secretary, trust leaders are deeply committed to improving care, reducing variation and cutting waste.

"It was the extraordinary leadership by NHS trust leaders and their partners in health and care that enabled the health service to respond so well to the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic. It will be that outstanding leadership which drives forward the NHS as it recovers from the pandemic.

"But even with this extra funding, we must be honest with the public about the scale of the challenge ahead for the NHS."